Ice Ball Mold Machine Lets You Make Perfect Spheres Out Of Frozen Water

February 8, 2010

Modern times call for modern ice cubes. And that's exactly what you get with the Ice Ball Mold, a sly little machine that carves any block of ice into a solid, ball-like shape.

I like my whiskey on the rocks, and throwing a perfectly spherical slab of ice into the glass sounds like it can make my drinking habit just a tad more interesting to watch. Maybe my wife will be so enthralled that she'll finally let me finish an entire bottle without getting on my case. Okay, maybe not. Planet-shaped ice spheres may be fun to look at, but I doubt it's that entertaining.

The Ice Ball Molds don't make their own ice like regular freezer trays. Instead, you're supposed to heat the top and bottom areas of the aluminum mold, put a shapeless block of ice between them, let physics do its job and turn the damn slab into a seamlessly-spherical ball of frozen water. Using this process, ice connoisseurs can produce up to 40 perfectly-shaped balls every hour.

Perfect for churning out unique-looking cocktails and melting crystal balls, the machine is available in various sizes, allowing you to turn out ice spheres in 30, 55, 65, 70 and 80 mm sizes. While I don't exactly buy the claim that ice balls are better than other shapes of frozen water (they're supposed to cool drinks better and longer), I have to admit that they do look more enticing.

Ice is cheap. The Ice Ball Mold, however, is not quite on the same page. It's currently available from Japan Trend Shop for slightly-unreasonable prices: $184 (for 30 mm), $1,003 (for 55mm), $1,085 (for 65mm), $1,113 (for 70mm) and $1,649 (for 80mm). All prices are approximate, by the way, depending on the exchange rate.